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Category: EdTech

This is a category for the EdTech course. Please add this category in addition to the relevant edtech assignment category(ies).

Doodling

Before this class, I had never heard of doodle notes, but wow I’m sold. Since I am someone with a learning disability, I have found this way of taking notes beneficial. I found it a relaxing process to draw the notes and it also required me to critically think and summarize the information. I think this way of note-taking could be very beneficial to students in any subject. Doodle notes have been shown to help students with ADHD focus in class, as it gives them an outlet for creativity (“Boosting Focus Through Doodling,” 2019; Sara, n.d.). Teachers have addressed the benefits of doodle notes for students with retention difficulties or physical disabilities (Sara, n.d.). Doodle note-taking helps with students’ retention as it associates words and images together, also known as a mnemonic. This type of note-taking gets students to take notes by writing instead of typing on a computer (Gammill, 2016). This also helps increase students’ retention as writing notes by hand has been shown to help students retain information for longer (Gammill, 2016). Although there are many benefits to doodle note-taking, I would argue that for some students, such as myself, re-scribing your hand-written notes from class into doodle notes might be easier and help retain information more than creating the doodle notes during a lecture. This is because it might take students a while to be able to process and summarize the information. Also, by doing doodle notes after the lecture, students are seeing the notes twice and therefore reinforcing it.

Here is a photo of my doodle note from class:

References:

Boosting Focus Through Doodling. (2019). Math Giraffe. Retrieved from https://www.mathgiraffe.com/blog/a-better-solution-for-helping-students-with-adhd

Gammill, D. (2016). The Benefits of Using Doodling and Sketchnotes in the Classroom. Edcuation Week Teacher. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/01/04/the-benefits-of-using-doodling-and-sketchnotes.html

Sara. (n.d.). Doodle, Hear from teachers who are using the Classrooms, ​strategy each day in their own. In the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.doodlenotes.org/in-the-classroom.html

Educational video games in the classroom

I thought the lesson on video games as a teaching tool was super interesting and somewhat pertains to my group’s inquiry project that is on digital storytelling, as video games are like interactive digital stories. I am not a big video game player myself, but I think video games are defiantly something that could be used in any classroom and can be a valuable resource. This article by Bryan Lynn (2019) states that educational video games have been shown to increase student’s engagement and enjoyment with different subject areas. From research studies, they have shown that although video games may not increase standardized tests, they do increase students’ soft skills like cooperation, creative thinking, and empathy, which are skills that employers are looking for (Lynn, 2019). I have included a list of science-based video games that may be useful in the classroom:

 

  • Immune Defence
  • Cell to Singularity
  • Mission to Planet Earth
  • Sci-Ops: Global Defense
  • CRISPR-VR
  • Mycocosm
  • You Change It! Climate Economic Game

 

http://bitly.ws/avaf

Reference:

Bryan Lynn. (2019). Video Games Used as Learning Tools in Schools. Learning English. Retrieved from https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/video-games-used-as-learning-tools-in-schools/4754113.html

Flip, or not to flip, that is the question…

I think using a flipped classroom style of teaching in a science class would be beneficial to students. The flipped classroom allows a more individualized learning experience where students can work at their own pace on their own or in small groups (Trach, 2020). Flipped classrooms have been shown to be a more student-centred learning experience, as the teacher can address student’s needs individually instead of addressing the whole class (Trach, 2020). In these types of classroom settings, it is best to have a discussion or hands on activity to help students grasp the concept that they learned on the online portion (Trach, 2020). This can also help the teacher see where clarification is needed and which parts of the concept students understand (Trach, 2020). The one downside I see to this classroom style is that it assumes that all students will have access to a computer and internet (Trach, 2020). I think over this pandemic, it has become clear to educators that not all students have the same access to technology. I wonder if there are different ways that flipped classrooms could be achieved still but be modified for those students that don’t have access to a computer? Maybe the teacher could present these students with written text and paper handouts these students to still be able to participate in this new beneficial classroom setting.

http://bitly.ws/as9V

Reference:

Denney, M. (2019). 5 Beginner Landscape Photography Mistakes to Avoid. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWdwkkzFg3M

A bit out of the apple- EdCamps for Professional Development Days

I found the EdCamp very useful and interesting. The only other time that I have been involved in an EdCamp was when I went to Esquimalt High School’s Pro-D day last month and it was very similar to the one that we did in class. So far, I have really enjoyed participating in EdCamps because they allow for inquisitive conservation to occur between colleagues. They are also cool because they are based around what the participants want to learn and what they are interested in, whereas on other Pro-D days the topics are predetermined. These types of camps give everyone a chance to share their interests, knowledge, and experiences, which I think is beneficial and helps educators to learn. One downside to EdCamps is that the participants can sometimes get off-topic; I experienced this in our in-class camp. However, it’s important to remember that off-topic conversations can be beneficial and lead to a new and enriching topic to investigate. Another benefit of these EdCamps is that they are open to all, no matter your role in education, this allows for diverse knowledge to be included in the conversation. At the bottom of this blog, I have posted a video that demonstrates the key aspects of EdCamps. http://https://youtu.be/gr7teMAk-hA

A new type of school

This week in class, we had a guest lecturer come in, Jeff Hopkins from PSII (The Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry). This alternative school includes all the traditional school subjects, like math, science and English. The key difference is that the students learn these subjects through inquiry-based learning and by doing so, students learn multiple subjects at a time (“Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry,” 2020). I had a family member attend this school a couple of years ago and although it was beneficial for her at the time, the one thing she struggled with once she got to post-secondary was taking tests. She hadn’t developed the skill of test-taking that students in a traditional setting do. It’s difficult when the whole educational system hasn’t shifted; universities and public schools are still mostly based on didactic learning. I think since the educational system has been resistant to change, having a hybrid model would be the best for students. This would include inquiry-based learning as well as some traditional forms of tests. The new BC curriculum seems to be starting to follow this model, but we will have to see if it continues (Columbia, n.d.).

 

References:

Columbia, G. of B. (n.d.). BC’s New Curriculum. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science/9

Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry. (2020). Retrieved from https://learningstorm.org

The benefits of storytelling

Since starting my observational class at Esquimalt High School, the most used technique that I have observed is teachers telling stories. I have seen storytelling being used in a science class to relate, why safety in labs is important, as well in a textiles class in order to make connections with the students. I think storytelling is an important way for teachers to make connections with students, relate abstract concepts or ideas to everyday life, and it also makes the teacher seem more approachable and personable to the students. Before reading “The hidden importunacy of teaching with stories” by A.J Juliani, I did not know the importance or the science behind storytelling. I found it interesting how when telling a story that has important information embedded in it, teachers are able to reach students both emotionally and biochemically and thus can increase the learning experience (Juliani, n.d.). I also found it interesting when the author pointed to the fact that storytelling is rooted in history (Juliani, n.d.). I wonder then why and how have STEM courses shifted away from this storytelling approach? If storytelling is able to engage students as well as make complex theories less complicated, why don’t we use this in science?

Photo by Sam Woolfe

Reference:

Juliani, A. . (n.d.). THE HIDDEN IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING WITH STORIESNo Title. A.J Juliani. Retrieved from http://ajjuliani.com/hidden-importance-teaching-stories/

 

Setting up WordPress

I used WordPress before when I took EDCI 339 and found it easy to use. The version used in EDCI 339 was the free version, and although it was straightforward, you weren’t allowed to change any of the settings. Comparatively, the WordPress template on opened.ca seems to be more interactive, where the author of the blog is in charge of the widgets, categories, and the pictures. I will admit it was harder to set up then the desktop version I had previously used, but I like the more control I have, and I feel I can add more of my personality into the blog by adding pictures and headings. I also like how I’m able to follow different blogs. This feature helps with collaboration and information sharing; in this era of zoom, collaboration can be hard.

https://exob2b.com/en/how-to-choose-a-wordpress-theme/

I think blogs such as WordPress can be useful for certain subjects that are writing heavy, such as English. Students could blog about the book they just read or what they thought of the movie they watched in class. I’m training to be a science teacher, and I think blogging could have an important role in a science class. Some ways I think blogging could be used in a science class is if students were tasked with researching a scientist or a theory. Likewise, it could be a tool for students to follow other blogs about science-related topics. It could also be used to share their thoughts and feelings on guest speakers or field trips. I think in general, blogging is a useful tool for students to reflect on their learning as well as for teachers to see what lessons work and maybe what didn’t.

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